Ask The Guide

Plenty of owners of cars (not just Havals) with this type of 'intelligent' cruise-control have complained about it. The problem occurs at highway speeds on any road with a corner on it. At which point, the vehicle decides it's travelling too fast and slows down, sometimes actually applying the brakes. Depending on whether you simply want a comfortable journey or you've just overtaken a B-double, this can be anything from annoying to dangerous.

I've heard reports of Haval dealers having a software upgrade which can be uploaded to the car during a service which eliminates this element of the adaptive cruise-control. It would be worth asking your Haval dealer whether it's available yet.
Some owners have actually resorted to physically covering the front camera so the car no longer knows there's a corner approaching. We definitely don't recommend that as it might interfere with other safety features.

On the surface, the two bootlids look very much alike. In shape, they may well be identical, but there's a catch. In 2012, Holden switched from the fully-imported Cruze to a locally built version of the same car. Which means that the two versions were painted in completely different factories (different countries, in fact) and the chances of two blues or reds or even whites colour-matching exactly are pretty slim.

If you look at the locally made Cruze line-up, you'll also see that many of the colours were shared with the Holden Commodore range (built in the same factory). The other thing to consider is that the paint on these cars was never stellar quality, and a decade or so of varying UV radiation exposure might mean that even two bootlids that started out the same colour, may not be now.

Compare the two bootlids in strong sunlight to gauge whether the colours actually match before committing to the swap. That said, if you do manage to match two bootlids in an identical colour, it will be a lot cheaper than having one resprayed.

Even though the Holden brand isn't selling new cars any longer, the brand still exists to service Holdens already on the road in Australia. Spare parts for an Astra are no problem to get hold of, either through a Holden service centre or from any number of suppliers, many of whom have websites you can look up.

That said, I wouldn't be too picky about having a 2018 car serviced by Holden, as any good workshop should be able to tackle any job on this relatively conventional car. But, if you do wish to use a Holden service centre, there are nine listed in the Perth area, so finding one shouldn't be a problem.

The short answer is no. Ford changed from a range of normally-aspirated engines in late 2016, to a newer, turbocharged 1.5-litre engine for the 2016 model year.

In theory, any engine can be made to fit any car, but there's no chance of this swap being an easy or inexpensive one. You'd also have to change the transmission to suit the newer engine and then there are the thousands of modifications to things like heater cores, radiators, engine mounts, steering and suspension components, exhaust systems and anything else that could be in the wrong place to suit the newer engine. And that's before we get to the different computers the newer engine will have to run it properly. You'd probably also need to have this conversion signed off by an engineer to ensure its legality and safety, too.

The simple solution (particularly ion a relatively inexpensive car like a second-hand Focus) is to simply buy the version you want in the first place.

A shaking through the steering when you apply the brakes is often caused by brake rotors which have warped. Imagine spinning a bicycle wheel with a buckle in it. In a micro sense, that's what a warped brake rotor is doing. When that happens, they fight against the force of the brake calipers and that leads to the shaking you're feeling. You're right not to feel safe as the car is definitely not safe in this condition.

Sometimes the brake rotors can be machined to make them true again, but other times a replacement set of rotors is the fix. Don't forget to get your mechanic to change the brake pads when they fit the new rotors, as new rotors can be compromised by old pads.

If it was just the indicators or just the central locking, you could spend a long time figuring this out. But if both the indicators and the central locking went on the blink at the same time, any mechanic's suspicions would be drawn to the body computer. This is an ECU that controls all those functions, including cruise-control, heating and ventilation and much, much more.

If the computer unit fails or starts to behave erratically, you'll notice these functions either working intermittently or not working at all. In some cases, a new body computer will be needed, but you can try this trick at home. Disconnect the battery and leave the car overnight. You may find when you reconnect the battery, all the functions have been restored.

The other trick to try is to hold the lock button on your key fob for a minimum of 60 seconds. That, too, can often reset the body computer and reboot thigs back to where they should be. Failing that, it's off to an auto electrician.

These old, air-cooled Volkswagens have a huge reputation for reliability and durability. And, back in the 1950s and '60s when they were most popular, they definitely were more reliable than a lot of their competition.

However, these days, even a relatively late-model Beetle such as a 1976 could be an absolute minefield of problems, starting with rust and a driveline with worn out mechanical bits and pieces. You haven't said how many kilometres the car has covered, but I'm betting it's plenty and that really plays against something like this car. You could wind up having to rebuild a large percentage of the car just to get it roadworthy, at which point, you could have bought something newer, faster and more comfortable.

In fact, that's another issue with old designs like the Beetle's; there's virtually no safety equipment beyond seat-belts. This is why cars like this have a place, but that place is as a weekend toy where you can relive your youth in small chunks on a Saturday morning before the shopping traffic has hit the road.

A lot of cars have a function whereby the horn will sound when the car is locked if there's a door, bonnet or boot ajar. It's designed to warn the driver that the car may not be fully secure even though it's technically locked.

Sometimes, the little switches that detect whether a door is ajar can become sticky with grit and grime and don't function properly. Locate each switch and give it a quick spray with electrical contact-cleaner and you might find the problem goes away.

A lot of cars are trimmed with leather these days, but it's also a fact that there's leather and then there's leather. Some is supple and rich and lovely, while some car-makers specify a grade of leather that is still technically a cow's hide, but is of distinctly inferior quality. These cheaper leathers are the ones that tend to get hotter, but it's also true that all leather will get hot if you lock your car and park it in the sun.

There are plenty of seat cover options, but a favourite for those who like their comfort is the good old sheepskin cover. Again, these are available in a range of quality and price-points, but a good set will definitely stay cooler in summer and warmer in winter.

This sounds a lot like a problem with what's called the body computer. The unit in question controls all those functions that the car needs to have apart from the engine and transmission (which is handled by another set of computers).

When the body computer loses the plot, all sorts of havoc can ensue with the central locking, lighting, cruise-control, heating and ventilation and the entertainment systems. Interestingly, though, sometimes the body computer can be rebooted by disconnecting the battery for an hour (or overnight is even better). In some cases, this is enough to return the computer to normal function. It's a bit like the Alt-Control-Delete treatment for a personal computer that's frozen.

So see if things have improved when you reconnect the battery. If not, it's time to visit an auto electrician to sort things out.